Constituency Report is a public service that Shaw TV graciously offers MLAs. This month’s video is provided below.

Judy Fainstein and I once more tried something different. The first segment follows the usual discussion of legislative issues relevant to Oak Bay-Gordon Head and British Columbia in general. In the second segment, I introduce Teresa Hartrick, the constituency assistant in my MLA office. We discuss the type of issues a constituency office deals with as well as the type of work a constituency assistant does.

As always, I’d be interested in your feedback on this constituency report.

Constituency Report

Media Statement December 1, 2015
Operations should immediately cease at Shawnigan soil treatment site – Andrew Weaver MLA
For Immediate Release

Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the BC Green Party is calling on Island Health and the Ministry of Environment to immediately shut down operations at the contaminated soil processing facility near Shawnigan Lake, in response to a CVRD report released today.

“The release of the engineering report raises very serious concerns regarding the safety of the ongoing operations.” said Andrew Weaver. “There has been a profound and pervasive dereliction of duty within the Ministries of Environment and Energy and Mines. The citizens of the region have collectively lost confidence in the ability of the BC Liberals to look out for their safety.”

The report, commissioned by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, identifies serious concerns about surface runoff and throughflow potentially becoming contaminated but not adequately being contained or treated. In particular, it concluded that “runoff storm water sourced from the SIA site is bypassing the sediment pond (i.e. by flowing under it) and is being discharged directly onto the land owned by the CVRD.” This occurred despite the fact the BC Government mandates that all surface water is required to be “contained on the property and treated in accordance with the permit”.

The report cites a lack of clarity regarding provisions related to the infiltration of surface water and suggests that “stormwater from a facility that handles contaminated soil should be managed in a way that allows for contaminant sampling and controlled discharge.”

“How the BC Liberals issued an operating permit in light of the very serious findings of the CVRD report is beyond me.” said Andrew Weaver. “The permit should be immediately rescinded, operations ceased, and a full independent investigation initiated.”

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Engineering report commissioned by CVRD (Linked here)

Media Contact

Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver MLA
Cell: 250 216 3382
Mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
Twitter: @MatVic

Parliament Buildings
Room 027C
Victoria BC V8V 1X4

Each spring the Legislative assembly of British Columbia invites post-secondary students from across Canada to participate in the Summer Tour Program. As Tour Guides and Parliamentary Players, these students bring parliamentary procedure and British Columbian history to life for countless students and visitors.

The Summer Guide Program is a four-month opportunity for students to gain work experience providing educational tours to the general public about the Legislative Assembly. Summer Tour Guides must be enrolled at an accredited post-secondary institution with public speaking experience and the ability to communicate fluently in English and a second language.

Likewise, the Parliamentary Players Program is a four-month opportunity for students to gain work experience in the field of applied theatre. Actors will perform roles as significant historical and political figures from B.C.’s past. Parliamentary Players must also be enrolled at an accredited post-secondary institution with theatrical experience and be able to convincingly portray historical characters and creatively ad-lib with visitors.

Applications for the Summer Tour Guides Program and the Parliamentary Players Program are due by December 31st, 2015. For more information on these programs and how to apply, please visit the Legislative Assembly of B.C.’s Job Postings webpage.

Strategically scheduling the meeting around lunch time, I was delighted to be back at Maria’s Deli – a staple during our campaign in 2013. Leading up to the last provincial election my campaign office was located across the street from this amazing deli on Shelbourne and Feltham and I credit them with keeping my team well fed and happy throughout every long, busy day. A family focused business, Maria’s Deli was started in 1977 by Maria Pereria and her husband Floyd. Though they both immigrated to Canada from Sao Miguel Portugal, Maria and Floyd didn’t meet until they signed up for the same English class at Vic High.

Their shop has been in the same location for 38 years and though it is now largely run by their daughter Susan Coombs, it hasn’t changed much. When I arrived Susan was behind the counter cheerfully helping an older customer. Switching between speaking English and Portuguese she says, “She has been coming here as long as I can remember!” Her parents opened the deli the year after she was born and she spent much of her childhood here helping out and visiting with customers, officially starting to work for them when she was 14.

Now Susan works there with her own daughter, who just finished high school. “The people are the most enjoyable part of working here,” they both agree. It shows too, the place is bustling with people greeting one another and chatting as they shop. Two construction workers come in to get lunch, “I’ve been coming here for 20 years!” one of them tells me even though he looks like he’s hardly 30. He helps another customer read the label on a tin of cookies as Susan makes their sandwiches, slicing their choice of meat and cheese from the huge selection in front of them. Amazingly, their lunch costs less than $5.00. There are fridges stacked with 10 kilo rounds of cheese and an incredible variety of olive oil, vinegar, pasta, and meat. A baker from Esquimalt walks in carrying a tray of Portuguese buns on her shoulder, she delivers buns to Maria’s Deli nearly every day, she says. Today she is dropping off 20 dozen.

Susan and her daughter joke and laugh as they work and another customer proudly tells me they’ve been coming here for years. “Oh and her mother in law too!” Susan says, “We go way back.”

Maria’s Deli is a wonderful mainstay in this community, feeding generations of families – and campaign teams lucky enough to work nearby.

Media Release – November 27th 2015
Climate Action Recommendations Highlight Inaction of Current Government
For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the BC Green Party called today’s release of the Climate Leadership Team’s recommendations the clearest sign yet that Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal  government is failing to demonstrate any leadership in addressing climate change.

The recommendations show that due to the choices this government has made since 2012, there is no longer a pathway to meet our 2020 GHG reduction targets. The government’s response has been to highlight the need for a new 2030 target, with little offered about how we can get there.

“Setting targets is meaningless if the policy isn’t there to go along with it,” said Andrew Weaver. “I am deeply concerned that the government will use these recommendations to advance the political goals of the government, allowing them to talk about leadership now, without having to implement a single policy until after the next election.”

The report was submitted to government on October 31st but not made public until today, preventing any public debate while the legislature was sitting for the fall session. Furthermore this report comes on the last Friday before the Paris COP conference, giving the Premier an opportunity to talk about leadership, without having to commit to a single policy after the fact.

“The release of this document today is in keeping with this government’s approach of saying one thing and doing another,” said Andrew Weaver. “Premier Clark is now able to feign leadership in Paris this Fall, and then announce their true intentions next year when they bring their actual plan forward.”

Andrew Weaver served on the first Climate Action Team, set up by Gordon Campbell in 2007. At the time, the team was told that they had a responsibility to engage with British Columbians about the climate action plan they were developing. This contrasts sharply with the 2015 Climate Action Team set up by Christy Clark, where they were required to sign confidentiality agreements and were prohibited from talking about their work.

“Christy Clark’s government has steadily dismantled the innovative climate policy initiated under Gordon Campbell,” said Andrew Weaver. “The recommendations released today offer one pathway to reclaiming the leadership we have lost. If the government is serious about being a leader, they need to start implementing policy not making promises and setting new targets.”

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Media Contact
Mat Wright
Press Secretary – Andrew Weaver MLA
Cell: 250 216 3382
Mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
Twitter: @MatVic
Parliament Buildings
Room 027C
Victoria BC V8V 1X4